Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Behind the product: NotebookLM | Raiza Martin (Senior Product Manager, AI @ Google Labs)

Oct 10, 2024

48:58

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Raiza Martin, Senior Product Manager for AI at Google Labs, leads the innovative NotebookLM project. She dives into its origin as a 20% project and how it evolved into a popular tool with a vibrant community. Raiza discusses the unique dynamics of Google Labs, future enhancements for NotebookLM, and the engaging new feature, 'Audio Overviews.' The conversation also touches on navigating the ethical challenges of AI and the excitement of collaborating with author Steven Johnson, making for a compelling exploration of tech and creativity.

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Quick takeaways

NotebookLM began as a 20% project within Google Labs, showcasing the power of grassroots innovation in established organizations.

The platform utilizes advanced AI models like Gemini 1.5 Pro, enabling seamless audio generation and enhancing user interaction.

Moving forward, NotebookLM plans to expand features and improve user experience by actively integrating feedback from its growing user base.

Deep dives

The Origins of Notebook LM

Notebook LM originated as a 20% project at Google Labs, where the team experimented with AI technologies. Initially, it consisted of just a small team, including a product lead and one engineer, working together to refine and develop the concept. This grassroots approach allowed for creative freedom and significant iteration, which led to a highly functional and popular product. The transformation from a simple idea to a widely recognized tool illustrates the power of innovative thinking within an established organization.

Interact and Create: The Power of Content Studio

00:57

Embrace the Future: Shape It with AI

01:44

Small Beginnings, Rapid Growth

00:50

Intro

2min

Exploring the Rise of Notebook LM: An AI Revolution

5min

Innovating User Experience at Google Labs

16min

Building a Network for Career Growth Through Sidebar

3min

Innovating User Experience in Content Delivery

8min

Delightful Analysis of Humorous Content

2min

Collaborative Insights and User Engagement

13min

Raiza Martin is a senior product manager for AI at Google Labs, where she leads the team behind NotebookLM, an AI-powered research tool that includes a delightful podcast-on-demand feature called “Audio Overviews.” NotebookLM started as a 20% project and has grown into a product that’s spreading across social media and has a Discord server with over 60,000 users. Raiza previously worked on AI Test Kitchen and has a background in startups, payments, and ads. In our conversation, we discuss:

• The origin story of NotebookLM

• The future road map for NotebookLM

• How Google Labs operates differently from the rest of Google

• The development of the “Audio Overviews” feature

• Key metrics and growth of NotebookLM

• Stories about collaborating with author Steven Johnson

• Navigating potential misuse of AI technology

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Brought to you by:

• Explo — Embed customer-facing analytics in your product

• Sprig⁠⁠ — Build products for people, not data points

• Sidebar — Accelerate your career by surrounding yourself with extraordinary peers

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Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/googles-notebooklm-raiza-martin

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Where to find Raiza Martin:

• X: https://x.com/raiza_abubakar

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whatsaraiza/

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Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Introduction to NotebookLM

(05:43) The genesis of NotebookLM

(08:08) Innovative features and use cases

(18:52) Building a startup culture within Google

(24:28) Expanding user demographics

(27:30) The product roadmap

(32:18) Other use cases

(36:11) Collaborating with Steven Johnson

(42:49) Ensuring ethical AI

(46:06) Future directions and user engagement

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

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